Hello Nature-led Friends!

I’m back with a quick post to let you know how the egg substitution went using only seltzer water as a replacement.

Overall result: Success!

Baking is not my forte, but I like baked goods and sometimes you just have to bake it yourself. Fortunately, I’m perfectly happy with the many box mixes available here in the United States.

First up: Krusteaz Almond Poppyseed muffin mix

I mixed everything else in first then added 1/4 cup seltzer water (equivalent to 1 egg). I could hear the seltzer reacting with the baking soda which makes sense that it would create the lift and airiness. After baking it was paler than if I had made it with egg and it was more moist by way of chewiness, but overall, three out of three taste testers liked it and would do it again.

Next up: Trader Joe’s Brownies with Dutch cocoa and chocolate chips

This recipe required two eggs, so we substituted 1/2 cup seltzer water. I really liked the crunchiness of the outer edges, but the center fell apart. The brownies were still delicious, just very crumbly. If I did it this way again, I would put the mix into muffin tins to cook through and add more stability and shape.

Finally, because it was a snowy icy weekend where we didn’t want to even try to go out, we continued our experiment with pancakes! I used Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake mix which are indeed, “fancy pancakes” normally made with box mix, 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons butter, plus 3/4 cup of milk. The nice thing about this is that I could add more pancake mix and let it rest a little to thicken up the batter for a better consistency. The pancakes came out with nice edges. They were a little extra floppy in the middle, but still delicious.

Final Thoughts:

Seltzer water is a great and affordable substitute for eggs. If you are making something for someone who is vegan or allergic to eggs, seltzer water is a good substitute for baking simple baked goods. (If you use a box mix always double check the ingredients list to make sure powdered eggs aren’t part of the mix. Keep the box available if the person wants to see it, especially if they have food allergies.)

The downside to using seltzer water is the likelihood of having it in the house when you might need it as a substitute because you are out of eggs. It takes pre-planning to have it available. If you use it to make brownies or cake in a pan, you may need to put foil around the edges and let the center bake longer in the middle to keep it from being too wet and crumbly. As a side note, I once watched a chef make a meringue who was allergic to egg whites, so he substituted aquafaba (chickpea (aka Garbanzo bean) liquid from the can to create stiff peaks. The great thing about this substitute is that it gives the viscosity that egg whites would provide as a binder with a little added nutritional boost.

Do you have any great cooking hacks that you would like to share?

Have a great week! Get outside and don’t be afraid to try new things!